Sunday Morning
by oncertwice
Summary: The result of a tumblr prompt asking for an AU where Killian likes to make Emma angry. CS as neighbors who live in the same apartment building, and the ensuing prank war. [Complete]
1. Chapter 1

It started with little things.

Small, subtle things that would require a bit of hard work to take note of.

But, strangely enough, it all started once he'd moved in across the hall.

Maybe she shouldn't even be blaming him. Maybe she should be blaming Ruby.

It was Ruby's fault that he had even moved into the building. Apparently they were good friends, who met at whichever bar Ruby used to work. When they'd heard that their neighbor David was looking for a roommate, she didn't even wait two minutes before calling him over.

Emma had made his acquaintance a few times before, once or twice at the bar. He'd even come over to hang out with Ruby, a fact that did not go over well with her fiance, Victor.

And why would it? He had a tall, toned body, perfectly tanned skin, thick, dark hair that could never seem to be tamed, a dazzlingly white smile, and eyes bluer than the clearest of clear skies.

Not to mention his accent. It literally turned anything he said into instant sex.

Killian Jones was everything a girl could ever want.

Thankfully, Emma Swan wasn't a girl anymore, and it would take more than a pretty face to calm her down this time.

She rolled out of bed on Sunday morning— her first day off in _too long_— eager to complete the crossword in her morning paper over a bowl of cereal. She settled her glasses on the bridge of her nose, deciding against her contacts, because, hey, it's the weekend.

She checked the pile of mail that was waiting for her on the kitchen counter. But, her paper wasn't there.

"Hey, Ruby?" Emma called, "Where's the paper?"

Ruby emerged from the bathroom, a towel wrapped around her chest, and another wrapped around her head. "I dunno. What's there is whatever Killian brought up last night."

Emma's ears pricked up at the mention of his name. "Excuse me, what?"

"Oh, I guess I forgot to tell you." She unraveled the towel on her head and began to dry her hair. "I gave Killian a key to our mailbox." Ruby shrugged the words off like they didn't mean anything.

"No, Ruby! Bad! Bad idea!" Emma felt as if she were scolding a naughty puppy. "You know he probably only took it to mess with me, right?"

Ruby snorted out a quick laugh. "Yeah, right. Maybe you guys oughtta fuck and just get it over with."

Emma cringed at Ruby's choice of words. "Ew. _No_."

But she wasn't going to lie and say she'd never thought about it…

"I'm going to get my paper." Emma huffed, to herself mostly, as Ruby was already heading back in the direction of the bathroom.

She banged on the door to apartment 3C, hoping that David wasn't still asleep. She would hate to make him suffer for the antics of his insufferable roommate.

A minute later, the door was opened by a very tired and groggy David.

"What is it, Emma?" He sighed out the words, eyes still half-closed.

"Where is he?" She asked, wanting to cut directly to the chase.

David grunted in response, turning away from the door. "Of course. The girls never come to see me. Hey, Kil!"

Emma stood in the open doorway waiting for Killian to show himself. A moment later, he was standing in front of her, wide awake and shirtless, a pair of pajama pants slung dangerously low on his hips.

When she finally saw him, Emma forgot why she'd even come. Before she could stop it, her eyes dropped to his chest, admiring the way the hair there was totally unruly, splayed out in all different directions. Her eyes fell even lower, following the trail the hair made from his chest downward, wondering what it would be like if she followed that same trail with her fingers or maybe her tongue or— _wait a fucking second._

The newspaper.

When she finally returned to his face, he was looking at her with amused eyes.

"Can I help you, Swan?"

She struggled against the blush that crept up her neck as she tried to bring back some of her previous anger. "Yes, you can. My newspaper. Where is it?"

He tapped a finger against his chin, as if deep in thought. "Ah, yes." He stepped aside and motioned for her to follow him in. "I've got it around here somewhere…"

He turned away from her and her eyes followed him, watching the muscles in his back as he looked around his living room.

"Ah-ha! Found you, you sodding thing!" He brought it over to her in a mess, each section completely disturbed and haphazardly thrown together.

"What the hell is this, Jones?" Emma asked, trying to keep from shouting.

"This is your paper, my dear. I had a devil of a time trying to find the sports section."

She took the mass of newsprint from his hands, at a complete loss for words. "What?"

"I wanted to know who won the football game last night."

She gave him an angry glare. "You could've just asked me! The Giants beat the Eagles by seven."

"What?" He made a confused face, then shook his head at her. "Heavens, no. I meant _real_ football. Or," he heaved a deep sigh and rolled his eyes, "_sock-er_. You yanks and your need to rename everything."

"Are you kidding me? You have to be kidding me, right?" She huffed aloud and threw the papers down onto his coffee table. "It's the twenty-first century, pal! You want to know the score, you can Google it! _Not _steal your neighbor's newspaper."

He smiled and walked closer to her, one hand resting just above the waistband of his pants. "Like you said, Swan: twenty-first century. Why are you even _reading_ a newspaper?"

He had her there.

"I don't read it, I do the crossword puzzle. But that's not the point." Emma clarified, taking a step back. She felt way too vulnerable right now, and she was beginning to regret her decision to come over here in a tank top and pajama shorts. "I don't want to have to write another letter to the super about you."

Killian stifled a laugh. "Another angry letter, darling?" His eyes dropped from hers down to her chest, and she was instantly reminded of the fact that she'd not put on a bra. "I can't help but wonder if those hands of yours couldn't be put to better use." He ran his tongue over his bottom lip for emphasis, and dammit she did _not_ just shiver.

"Just— quit stealing my paper, alright?" She turned on her heels and left, slamming his door shut behind her.

Killian chuckled to himself and laid back on the sofa, turning on the TV.

David emerged from the kitchen a moment later, a mug of coffee in each hand and a bagel seated between his teeth. He handed Killian a mug and bit the bagel before taking it away from his mouth.

"Thanks, mate." Killian sighed appreciatively as he sipped from his mug, turning his head to see David eyeing him warily.

"Is there a problem, Dave?"

David shrugged his shoulders and leaned back into the couch. "I just don't get you, man. Why do you rile her up like that?"

Killian smiled against his mug as he brought it to his lips. "Tell you the truth, I don't know. But I will tell you one thing: seeing her all angry and passionate is terribly sexy."

David scrunched up his face, stuffing more bagel into his mouth. "Whatever, Kil. As long as she's angry at you, and not me."

* * *

The next Sunday, Emma was pleased to find her newspaper perched atop the pile of mail. However, there was a note attached.

She picked it up, and read its message:

_"Swan, I trust you'll find everything in order with your mail this morning. I'll admit, I was tempted to keep your paper just so that you'd come and see me again. __Maybe you'll come see me anyway? I suppose it's up to you. —Jones."_

She smiled at the note and its sentiments. Maybe she should stop underestimating Killian Jones' capacity for mature adult interaction.

Emma sat down at the breakfast bar, eager to start her puzzle. She picked up her pen and turned to the page it was on.

When she found the page, she dropped her pen as her mouth fell open.

That_ bastard._

He filled out the fucking crossword.


	2. Chapter 2

Oh, no.

Definitely not.

He was _not_ going to get the best of her.

And especially not this way. Not with sweet little notes accompanied by dirty tricks.

Emma rolled the paper up and began to beat the breakfast bar in frustration. "Stupid. Charming. Sexy. Idiot. Sassy. Newspaper-stealing-no-shirt-wearing-crossword-puzzle-finishing-asshole!"

Upon finishing her rant she tossed the newspaper in the direction of the back hallway, where it slammed into the window and flopped onto the floor.

A minute later, Ruby poked her head around the corner, looking at her roommate with wide eyes.

"Everything alright out here, Em?"

Emma rubbed the heels of her hands into her eyes, resting her elbows on the counter in front of her. "It's Jones. Fucking with my paper again."

"What'd he do?" Ruby asked as she pulled down a bowl and practically dumped the entire box of Apple Jacks into it.

"He filled in my crossword puzzle." Emma's head snapped up when she heard a man's laughter from the back hall.

"What's the matter, Emma?" Victor asked as he unrolled the newspaper and looked over the completed puzzle. "You mad because he can actually finish it?" His laugh at her expense was short lived when she took an orange from the fruit bowl and hurled it towards him, hitting him square in the chest.

Ruby laughed outright, almost choking on her mouthful of cereal. "Ha! That's gonna leave a mark."

Victor gave Ruby a withering glare and picked the now-bruised citrus up from the floor. He set it down in front of Emma before turning toward the cabinet and pulling down a mug. "My, my, someone's touchy this morning." He poured coffee into it and took a sip.

Emma got up, taking the mug from Victor's hands. He sighed before turning around and getting himself another one.

"I've already got one wise-ass to deal with, Vic. Killian Jones is more than enough." She sipped the coffee before going over to the pantry and getting a doughnut. "Why are you even here?"

Victor shrugged and gave her a wry smile. "Last night was date night." He waggled his eyebrows at her and snatched her doughnut from her hands. "And you know how I get after dinner and a movie."

Emma shuddered when Ruby giggled at her fiance's antics. "Ew, guys. TMI." She grabbed another doughnut from the pantry and went to sit on the couch.

"Now, back to my issue," Emma changed the subject, "I need to deal with that smug bastard."

"Why don't you just prank him back?" Victor asked, sitting at the breakfast bar next to Ruby.

"Prank him back? I don't know if that would even work." She tucked her bangs behind her ear and leaned back into the couch. "I don't know if he has anything that he cares about that much."

"He sure cares about himself a whole hell of a lot." Victor grumbled under his breath, and Ruby smacked him on the shoulder.

"Hey! Lay off, Victor. He's a total sweetheart deep down."

"I don't really want to think about how _deeply_ you know him."

Ruby groaned and put her bowl in the sink. "Ugh. Cut it out. I'm gonna go shower."

Once Ruby was gone, Victor sat down on the couch next to Emma. "Don't worry, something'll come to you."

Emma smiled devilishly, and sat bolt upright. "Something just did."

* * *

When night finally came, Emma waited until the commotion across the hall had died down. Once the lights went out for the night, she waited a few hours more and sneaked out of her apartment with a small bag under her arm. She fished around in the pocket of her sweatpants and pulled out the spare key that David had given her and Ruby.

She slid the key into the lock and looked around the quiet apartment, hoping that she was right, and both men had been asleep for hours.

Emma closed the door behind her and waited a few moments before she made off in the direction of Killian's bedroom.

She turned the doorknob slowly, walking in on tiptoe, although she was sure that he was a relatively heavy sleeper.

She opened the door slowly, and immediately her senses were assaulted. The room smelled so much like him that she had to reach out for the closest wall as her knees threatened to buckle beneath her.

"Keep it together, Swan," she whispered to herself, "all you have to do is walk over to that bed, do what you came to do and leave."

Emma approached the bed, and almost dropped her bag to the floor.

"Of fucking course he sleeps in the nude. Why would he_ not_?" She whisper-shouted, trying not to get frustrated. Or distracted.

The covers were pooled around his waist, but she could tell that he was not wearing anything beneath them. The linen started just beneath his pelvic bone, and she was glad that it was there.

Otherwise this night may have ended quite differently.

She tried her hardest to keep her eyes from drifting down past his navel, and she succeeded, but only just. After all, that's not why she'd come.

Emma set the bag down on the bed, and opened it gingerly. She had to cover her mouth to keep from laughing when she pulled out her ultimate payback.

She switched on the electric shaver and waited a few seconds to see if the buzzing was going to wake him.

She smiled to herself when his light snoring persisted through the commotion around him.

"Alright, Swan," she prepped herself, "it's go-time. The final countdown. Now or never, right?" She stepped closer to his sleeping form, and leaned her free hand next to his head as she brought the shaver down to his face with the other.

It only took about a minute, but before she knew it, she had completed her mission. She looked down at him, admiring her handiwork. The shaved half of his face looked so innocent and boyish that she was almost tempted to keep going. She decided against it, however, and made ready to clean up.

She threw the shaver back into her bag and whipped out her cell phone to take a few pictures. For Ruby, just in case he awoke tomorrow and decided to shave off the rest.

Once she was thoroughly satisfied, she left his room, turning back just before crossing the threshold.

"Sorry, Jones, but payback's a bitch."

* * *

Killian awoke the next morning, delighting in the feel of the sun's warmth on his face. He sat up, still groggy, and scratched absentmindedly at his chin.

"Bloody hell…" He laid an open palm against one side of his face, and then the other before his eyes opened wide in realization.

He threw on a pair of boxer-briefs and ran into the bathroom to see himself in the mirror.

What he saw made his blood boil. The bloody minx had shaven him in his sleep. "Swan!" He shouted into the mirror, not even bothering to consider the fact that David may have still been asleep.

A second later, David charged into the bathroom and stared at Killian with wide eyes before bursting into laughter.

"Holy shit, Kil! I probably should have told you not to mess with her!"

Killian shot David a death glare and pushed past him into the living room. "How the bloody hell am I supposed to go to work like this?"

David wiped at his eyes and slapped Killian on the shoulder. "Don't sweat it. I'll go talk to her."

David grabbed Emma's spare key and headed across the hall. He unlocked the door and found Emma sitting on her couch, broad smile on her face.

"Good morning, David! Would you like some coffee?"

He shook his head at her. "You know, Emma, I didn't give you that extra key so that you could sneak in while we're sleeping and play Sweeney Todd."

Emma bit her lip as she tried to stifle her laughter. "I'm sorry, David. But I had to, I've been putting up with his bullshit for far too long."

David sighed, rubbing at the back of his neck with an open hand. "Whatever you say. Let me borrow your shaver? He's gonna finish the job."

Emma ran into the bathroom and returned, placing the shaver in David's hand. "Here you go." She smiled sweetly at him, batting her eyelashes.

He took it and nodded his thanks before disappearing across the hall.

Twenty minutes later, as she and Ruby were preparing to leave for work, there was a knock on the door. Ruby went to answer it as Emma followed closely behind her.

Just outside the door stood Killian, dressed for work in his usual three-piece suit, and completely clean-shaven. "Good morning, ladies."

Ruby stepped aside and he let himself in, grilling Emma with his eyes. "Wow, Killian," Ruby gushed, "your beard is gone! What happened?"

Killian gave a nonchalant shrug, shoving his hands into the pockets of his trousers. "Nothing really. Figured it was time for a change."

Emma stifled a giggle, but Ruby interrupted her before she could say anything.

"I've gotta get to work, see you guys later!"

Once the door was shut, Killian crossed the room and stood directly in front of Emma, the toes of his dress shoes pressing into the toes of her high heels.

"I must say, Swan. Either I underestimated the importance of those puzzles, or this is a gross and unjust overreaction." He folded his arms across his chest and raised an eyebrow, but this time, there was nothing playful about the gesture.

Emma opened her mouth to speak, but he stopped her.

"You may think that this makes us even, darling, but let me tell you one thing: I'm not done with you yet."

With that, he spun on his heels, leaving Emma to stand alone in her apartment and wonder what the hell she'd just started.


	3. Chapter 3

It had been two weeks since Swan's little attempt at revenge.

Killian's scruff had regrown and renewed itself to its former glory (lucky for her), and aside from a few sidelong glaces and short hello's, he hadn't really spoken to her.

He also hadn't had a chance to sabotage her paper anymore, since Ruby had demanded he return their mailbox key.

(Okay, so _maybe_ cutting the crossword puzzles out wasn't really the best idea, but still. Some things a man cannot allow.)

His turned toward the front door when he heard it swing open.

"Hey." David sighed as he hung up his coat and walked over to the fridge.

"Evening, Dave." Killian returned, looking up from his work to see his roommate sifting through their supply of week-old leftovers and half-empty beer cans.

David closed the fridge and opened the cupboard, pulling down a bag of potato chips and throwing himself down into the couch. "So," he started, grabbing Killian's attention, "how's the prank war coming along?"

Judging by David's tone, Killian could tell that he wasn't all that interested.

"Do you really care?" Killian asked, making sure to lace his voice with a noticeable amount of sarcasm.

David shook his head as he shoved his hand into the bag of chips. "Nope. Not in the slightest." He stuffed a handful of chips into his mouth before speaking again. "Somebody is going to end up getting hurt or upset."

Killian rolled his eyes at David. "Well, it's not going to be me. I'll be damned if I let her get the better of me." He turned back to his work, ripping a sheet out of his notebook and balling it up before tossing it into the trash can.

"Killian," David sighed, "just be careful, alright?"

Killian could sense the gravity of his friend's warning. It was only at times like these that they actually called each other by their full names. But, he had a point to make, and he was not going to let up until he came out victorious.

"And why should I? The woman attacked in the still of the night. She _shaved_ me in my sleep, Dave. That's hardly fair."

David couldn't help but laugh at Killian's petulant tone. "Okay, maybe that was a touch out of line, but you deserved it." David rose from the couch and tossed the now-empty bag into the trash. He opened the fridge and pulled out a bottle of water, twisting off the cap as he looked to Killian again.

"You've been messing with her for ages, Kil." He took a sip from his bottle and swallowed it with a satisfied sigh. "You know why she's doing all of this, don't you?"

Killian leveled his shoulders with a sigh. "Why don't you enlighten me?"

David rolled his eyes at his roommate. "Think of it like…" he paused, trying to find the correct wording, "a little boy pulling a little girl's pigtails on the playground."

Killian scrunched up his face in confusion, waiting for David to clarify.

"She likes you, Killian. And I'm willing to bet she has for a long time."

Killian couldn't hide his satisfaction at David's little confession. "And I like her."

David pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration. "Then why are you doing this again?"

Killian shrugged his shoulders, moving from his seat at the table to the couch. He leaned back against it and put his hands behind his head. "Because maybe I want to make her squirm a little."

And he knew just the way.

* * *

Emma was enjoying her new found peace in the time since she'd gotten Killian back.

She hadn't really spoken to him since then, and she had to admit it— she kind of missed him.

(Not that she'd ever admit that to anybody else.)

So, when he knocked on her door Thursday night, Emma was glad to see him, but outwardly, she remained skeptical.

"Evening, Swan." He greeted her with a cool smile as he looked beyond her and into the apartment. "Is Ruby around?"

Emma wasn't used to him being like this with her. No innuendo, no flirtation, acting like she was nothing more than his neighbor.

(Why was she being like this? That's exactly what she was.)

Emma stepped aside and let him into the apartment, and he walked past her, settling himself into the couch.

"Uh, I'll go see what she's doing." Emma left the living room and went into the back hallway to find her roommate, reappearing a minute later. "She should be out in a second."

Killian nodded his acknowledgement of her statement and looked about the room idly, picking up a magazine from the coffee table and leafing through it absently.

Emma went over to the fridge and pretended to be looking for something, merely trying to avoid an awkward silence.

"So," he spoke up after a few moments, "what's new with you lately, Swan?" He hadn't looked up from the magazine, and his voice was deadpan and somewhat uninterested.

"Nothing much. Just work and stuff. What about you?"

Killian shrugged and threw the magazine back down onto the table. "Same thing, really."

Emma could feel the lull in the conversation, but was saved when Ruby walked into the living room with a smile of her face.

He stood when she entered the room, hugging her tightly and kissing her on the cheek.

Ruby giggled and hugged him back. "Hey, Killian. What's up?"

He released her and they both sat down on the couch, shoulder to shoulder. "I just came by to make sure that everything is all set for tomorrow night."

Ruby clapped excitedly and Emma could see the light in her eyes. "Oh, definitely! Victor and I will meet you and Ariel at the restaurant at say… six?"

Killian nodded his agreement and got up from the couch. "Perfect. I have to go now, though, I only wanted to make sure nothing had changed." He gave Ruby a quick kiss on the cheek before nodding a goodbye at Emma and letting himself out.

Once he was gone, Emma approached Ruby and sat beside her on the couch. "What's happening tomorrow night?" She tried to keep a nonchalant air in her tone as she carefully asked the next part. "And who's Ariel?"

Ruby was looking at something on her phone and didn't look up as she answered Emma. "Killian is joining Victor and me on a double date. And Ariel is the girl he's bringing."

Emma felt an uncomfortable pang of envy begin to pool low in her stomach.

"Ariel, huh? What do you know about her?" Emma picked up the magazine Killian had been looking at and pretended to be reading as she waited for an answer.

"Nothing really," Ruby replied, "just that she works with Killian or something. He said she's really nice, though."

"I'll bet she's _real_ nice." The words fell over Emma's lips before she could stop them. She hadn't even realized that she'd said them aloud until she noticed Ruby staring at her.

"What was that, Em?"

Emma felt her cheeks begin to burn bright red and she tried to rationalize what she'd just said. "Uh, nothing… I just meant that Killian is a pretty good judge of character, y'know? So, if he says she's nice, she must be."

Ruby narrowed her eyes at Emma, putting her phone down on the coffee table. "What's been going on with you lately, Emma?"

Emma had no response that she was willing to give. Or even say out loud, for that matter. So, she decided to change the subject.

"What's for dinner tonight, Ruby? I noticed that we have some chicken in the fridge, but I don't really feel like chicken. We could order a pizza. Or maybe some Chinese?" She paused, hoping that Ruby would say something.

When she didn't, Emma decided to answer for her. "Yes! That sounds great! I'll go grab the takeout menu!" Emma leaped up from the couch and sped off to the kitchen.

"Freeze, Swan."

Emma stopped in her tracks, however she was still facing away from Ruby.

"Get back over here."

Emma sighed and walked back over to the couch, standing in front of her friend.

"Park it." Ruby commanded, pointing to the spot on the couch where Emma had been sitting.

Emma threw herself down into the couch with a groan. "What is it, Ruby?"

"It's nothing, I hope. I just noticed that you get really fidgety around the subject of Killian lately, and just now you almost sounded jealous when I mentioned Ariel."

On the inside Emma was screaming at the top of her lungs. On the outside, however, she remained calm. "No, Ruby. That was not jealousy, alright?"

"Then what was it?"

Emma sighed, wanting nothing more than to end this conversation. "Okay, so maybe I was a little tiny _almost unnoticeable_ bit jealous."

"But why?"

"Oh my god, Ruby." Emma rubbed at her temples in an attempt to ward off the headache she could feel looming over her. "Remember when he moved in all that time ago? And I told you that I had a little crush on him?"

Ruby nodded, waiting for Emma to go on. "Right, and then it went away."

Emma felt her cheeks flush as Ruby continued to stare into the center of her very being. "Well, maybe it didn't…"

Ruby's eyes widened and she moved closer to Emma on the couch. "What?! Were you never going to tell me this?"

Emma held her hands up in surrender. "I wasn't even going to tell myself."

"So, now what?" Ruby asked excitedly. "I would love for my two best friends to be an item!"

Emma rolled her eyes at her friend's enthusiasm. "Ruby, no. He doesn't feel the same way, so why push it?" Emma stood from the couch, eager to seek shelter from Ruby's prying eyes. "Besides. He's got a date with _Ariel_ tomorrow." Emma couldn't help the mocking way she choked out the girl's name. She didn't know anything about her, but she already disliked her.

"Come with us."

Emma stopped abruptly, almost certain that she'd heard Ruby wrong. "i'm sorry?"

"You heard me. Come with us! What better way to make Killian notice you than by seeing you on the arm of another hot stud?"

"Ruby…" Emma shook her head but Ruby cut her off immediately.

"No, Emma. You're coming. And I know just who to call for you."

Before Emma could protest, Ruby picked up her phone and and dialed the number. They waited in silence for whoever she'd called to pick up.

"Graham? Hey, it's Ruby!" Ruby walked away, going into her room and shutting the door behind her.

When Emma heard his name, she wanted to snatch the phone from Ruby's hand and hang it up.

Graham was a friend of Victor's, she'd never actually gotten to know him, but he seemed like a perfect gentleman, and that was the exact reason why she didn't want to use him like this.

That, and the fact that she had only met him a handful of times.

After a few minutes, Ruby reemerged with a triumphant smile on her face.

"Okay, we are all set. Graham is going to be meeting us here and then we'll all go to the restaurant together."

"Ruby, I'm not sure about this. Plans like these always seem to have a special way of blowing up in your face. Besides, Graham is such a nice guy. I'd hate to lead him on."

Ruby laughed and resumed her seat on the couch. "Don't worry, Em. I filled him in."

"Oh, well isn't that just terrific? Now he's gonna think I'm some desperate bimbo, trying to make another guy jealous. I'm hating this plan already, Ruby."

Ruby laughed and rolled her eyes. "Don't sweat it. I'm sure you'll be thanking me when you get to go home with Killian afterward."

Emma couldn't help the small smile that crept its way onto her face. "Well, I guess that wouldn't be so bad."

* * *

On the other side of the door, Killian was listening in with a broad smile on his face.

"So, Swan, you want to make me jealous do you? I suppose two can play that game." He laughed to himself as he backed away from their door and went into his apartment.


	4. Chapter 4

**This is the last chapter, so thank you to all of those who read/reviewed/followed/favorited!**

**_Also, this gets just a tiny bit smutty toward the end!_**

* * *

On Friday night, Emma's stomach was in knots. As in, literal twist and turns.

"God, I can't believe I let you talk me into this, Ruby."

Ruby snickered to herself as she watched Emma fidget in front of the mirror.

"Are you sure this is the right thing to wear?" Emma asked, giving herself an appraising look in the full-length glass.

The dress Ruby had picked out was a black number with three-quarter length sleeves. The neckline of the dress was modest, barely resting beneath her collarbone, but the back of it plunged halfway down her spine. The a-line skirt of the dress flared outward and ended just above her knee.

Ruby came up behind her and put a reassuring arm around her shoulders. "Yes, Emma, it's perfect. Now tell me: how do I look?"

Emma couldn't help but laugh at the abrupt change of subject. She looked her friend up and down, taking in the full effect of her ensemble. The dress Ruby wore was, of course, red, but the shade was closer to maroon. It was cinched at the waist, which played well with Ruby's lithe frame.

"You look great, Ruby. Really." Ruby squealed with delight and pulled Emma over to the vanity. She forced Emma into the stool there and reached for Emma's hairbrush.

"Okay, now let's do something with this hair of yours, shall we?"

After fifteen minutes of protest, and a few curses and a few elbows thrown, Ruby was finally able to wrangle Emma's hair into a romantic updo.

"There we are." She spoke to herself as she moved Emma's bangs around, perfectly framing her face. "There's no way Killian Jones isn't gonna notice you tonight, Em. Now, on to your makeup."

"Ruby," Emma started warily, "are you sure we aren't putting too much effort into this?"

Ruby stifled a laugh as she held Emma's face up by the chin, applying a lipstick that was a warm, almost-nude shade of pink. "Don't over think it, Em. Just go out tonight and have fun. Whatever happens happens."

When there was a knock on the door, Ruby left Emma to answer it while Emma moved on to her eyeliner.

When Ruby opened the door she was greeted by Victor and Graham, who took a few seconds to notice her as they were having their own conversation.

"Ahem," Ruby exaggeratedly cleared her throat, calling attention to herself instead of waiting to be acknowledged.

"Hey, babe." Victor greeted her as he moved in to kiss her cheek, carefully avoiding her red-painted lips. "You look amazing."

Ruby stepped away from the door and allowed the two men to enter the apartment.

Graham greeted her with a smile and a hug. "It's nice to see you again, Ruby."

She beamed at him in response, patting him on the shoulder. "You too, Graham. And thanks again for doing this. I know it sounds a little… weird." She shrugged her shoulders nervously as she twirled her engagement ring around on her finger.

The corners of Graham's eyes crinkled as his lips turned upwards into a smile. "It's alright. It's not like I had anything better to do. Why would I pass up the opportunity to spend the night with a beautiful woman on my arm?"

"What's so weird about a blind date?" Victor asked, clearly having been left out of the loop.

"Nothing, dear." Ruby answered him curtly before giving Graham a wink and going back to check on Emma.

When she returned to Emma's bedroom, she found her sitting on the edge of the bed, trying to buckle the ankle straps on her heels.

"Perfect timing, Ruby! Gimme a hand?" Emma motioned to her ankle and Ruby obliged, kneeling in front of her friend.

"Victor and Graham are here." She finished buckling the shoe and Emma helped her up from the floor.

"Okay," Emma sighed uneasily, "I guess we're actually gonna do this, then."

Ruby nodded enthusiastically. "Yes, we are."

* * *

"Alright, Ariel," Killian spoke, trying to get her attention, "they should be here any minute. Now, when they arrive, you are going to act as if you and I are totally devoted to one another, you got it?"

Ariel sighed, shifting her weight from one foot to another. "Whatever you say, Killian. I just don't know how Eric would feel about this."

"Hey," Killian corrected her, "that husband of yours owed me a favor. It was about time I collected on it."

Ariel folded her arms across her chest. "And you're sure that this is the way to win this girl's affections? By pretending that you're in love with me?"

Killian chuckled, straightening his tie. "Jealousy can be one hell of a motivator, love. You'd do well to remember that." He ran his hand over the back and sides of his hair, which was neatly parted and combed. "Answer me honestly. How do I look?"

Ariel looked him over from head to toe, suppressing the need to roll her eyes. "Like you care too much about how you look."

Killian flashed her a devilish smile and waggled his eyebrows. "Perfect."

* * *

The ride to the restaurant seemed longer than it was, and Emma just wanted to be out of Graham's car.

(Ruby had insisted that she and Graham ride separately from her and Victor, to make it seem "more real.")

Whatever.

It's not that Graham wasn't a nice guy, Emma just hated being left with nothing to talk about, aside from their plans for the evening.

"You really like this guy, huh?" Graham broke the silence, throwing Emma a quick sideways glance before turning his gaze back to the road.

"Well, I've never pretended to date another guy to make anyone jealous before, so I'm going to go with yes."

She didn't mean to sound so snarky, she was just really on-edge about the whole evening. Ruby wasn't really a great strategist, and Emma didn't want this little scheme to ruin any possible chance she could have with Killian.

"I'm sorry, Graham. I just like him a lot, I guess. And I'm nervous that this date he's going on is something serious. I'd hate to come between him and his girlfriend. Oh, god. What kind of person am I? I don't even know. This was a horrible idea. I think we should just—"

"Emma." Graham cut her off, and mentally she thanked him for it. Otherwise she may have kept babbling all night. "Seriously, I wouldn't worry about it. For all he knows, _we_ could have something serious. So just chill out and take a few deep breaths."

Graham did have a point. As long as Killian remained clueless on how she felt about him, she could retain the upper hand.

When they finally got to the restaurant, Graham parked the car before taking off his seat belt and getting out to open Emma's door for her. She smiled and took his extended hand, coming to her feet and brushing invisible lint off of her dress.

Victor and Ruby pulled up a second later, and once both couples were on their feet, they made their way across the parking lot.

Before Emma realized what was happening, Graham took her right hand and placed it in the crook of his left elbow. She unconsciously gripped Graham's arm tighter as she saw Killian and Ariel waiting for them outside.

Of course, he looked amazing (but what else was new?). He wore a black suit with a black shirt and tie underneath. The elegance of his ensemble was totally understated, and he wore it well. And the way he had his hair styled only added to the whole "suave-and-debonair-maybe-I'm-a-super-spy" vibe that he had going on.

But then she was snapped out of her reverie when she followed the elegant lines of his arm to where it was connected with _hers_. They were holding hands. Fingers entwined and everything.

And, of course, it didn't help that she was gorgeous. Ariel had beautiful red hair that lay over one shoulder and she wore an equally stunning blue dress with long sleeves. it was calf-length and it had an eye-catching slit that crept it's way up to her mid-thigh.

She felt Graham's arm tense under her hand and she realized that she was digging her nails into his suit jacket.

"God, Emma," he whined, "if you hold onto my arm any tighter you may just rip it off."

She distantly heard Ruby chuckle beside her and she forced herself to release her grip on Graham's arm. When she did, he moved it and wrapped it around her waist, placing his hand on her hip.

"Evening, all." Killian greeted them as they finally came within earshot. "Everyone, this is Ariel." He motioned to the redhead at his side with his free hand. "Ariel, this is my best friend Ruby, her fiance Victor, Ruby's roommate Emma, and…" He trailed off as he looked Graham in the face. "Forgive me, mate. I don't believe we've met before."

Graham smiled warmly and extended his hand to Killian and then Ariel. "The name's Graham, Emma's boyfriend."

Killian raised an eyebrow and smiled, looking back and forth from Graham to Emma. "What a lovely pair you make." He motioned with his hand for the group to follow him, and they all filed into the restaurant.

Killian chuckled to himself. _"Boyfriend? That's rich. I don't know who you think you're fooling, Swan, but that bloke is clearly not your type." _

He also noticed that his words had the desired effect. Introducing her as his friend would have boosted her confidence, and he was sure that her _boyfriend_ could handle that task just fine.

Emma trailed behind the group, angry at herself for even coming along. Ruby noticed, and excused herself to go and check on her friend.

"Em, are you okay?" Ruby asked, holding her friend by the shoulders.

"Did you hear that? He introduced me as _your roommate_, Ruby. He doesn't even consider me a friend. How could he ever see me as more than that?"

Ruby smiled wistfully. "Don't give up yet, Emma. The night is still young. Let's go sit down."

Emma followed Ruby to the table their group had been shown to.

Oh, great.

It was a rectangular table with six chairs, Killian and Ariel sat together on one side, Victor sat at the head next to Ariel, and Graham sat at the head next to Killian. The way that the table was set up left no question as to where Emma was supposed to sit. Next to her date, obviously.

And across from Killian.

When they returned to the table the men stood, and Graham and Victor moved to pull out their dates' chairs for them.

Once they were all seated, the waiter came around with the wine that Killian had ordered for the table, and poured a serving into each of their glasses. He poured the last glass and took their orders, promising to return in a few minutes.

Once the waiter was gone, Killian turned his focus to Graham, eyeing him somewhat suspiciously.

"So, Graham. How did you two meet?" He smiled when he noticed a flash of panic in Graham's eyes.

"Uh, I met Emma through Ruby, actually."

Emma smiled, at least that wasn't a lie.

Killian nodded, seemingly satisfied with the answer he'd been given. "How do you know Ruby?"

When Graham smiled Killian could see that he was relieved to have passed some unspoken test. "I actually met Victor first. We were roommates in college."

Killian sipped from his glass and swallowed it before looking to Emma, and then back to Graham. "And how long have you two been together? I have to tell you, Graham, I haven't heard much talk about you."

Emma cut in next, not giving Graham a chance to answer. "And why would you have? It's not like we're _friends_ or anything. You only know me as Ruby's roommate."

Emma noticed a flash of mischief in Killian's eyes as he nodded and flashed her a winning smile. "Quite right, Swan. However that doesn't answer my question."

They stared each other down for a few moments before Ruby spoke up. "Okay, then. Ariel, how did you and Killian meet?"

Killian leaned back in his chair, still making eye contact with Emma, and put his arm around Ariel's shoulders. Ariel leaned into his touch as she answered Ruby's question.

"We met at work." Ariel answered with a cheerful smile. "He's actually the one who hired me."

Emma laughed quietly to herself. "What, did he promise you a promotion if you went on this date with him?"

Every head at the table whipped around to stare at her as Victor choked on the wine he'd had in his mouth.

She felt Ruby kick her under the table, and she realized that she'd just spoken aloud. She looked at Graham, who only gave her a helpless shrug.

Her eyes were drawn to Killian, who was watching her with a raised eyebrow. He leaned forward on the table, perching himself up on his elbows.

"You know, darling, if I didn't know better, I would say it sounds as though you're a little envious."

Emma shook her head, trying to stop herself from blushing. She was saved from answering, however, when the waiter returned with their entrees. She leaned back in her seat as her plate was placed in front of her.

Everyone else around the table began to eat and talk among themselves, but Emma couldn't bring herself to eat much. But, she kept up the charade, laughing extra loudly at Graham's jokes and making sure to smile at him when she knew Killian was looking.

"So, Emma," she heard her name and turned to see Ariel smiling brightly at her, "what do you do for work?"

Emma smiled and swallowed the wine she'd been sipping. "I'm actually a paralegal."

Ariel raised her eyebrows and nodded. "Who do you work for?"

"Gold, Mills, &amp; Blanchard, on 73rd." Emma picked up her glass and took a sip, almost choking as she felt someone brush against her leg under the table.

She looked to Graham with wide eyes, but he was engrossed in whatever Ariel was saying. She then turned her eyes to Killian, to see he was watching her with a raised eyebrow.

She tried to concentrate on the conversation she was supposed to be having with Ariel, but it was so damned hard to concentrate when he was drawing his foot up and down her leg.

Emma kicked him in the shin, and his knee jerked, hitting the bottom of the table.

When everyone turned to look at him, he cleared his throat. "Um, I think I need to make a trip to the washroom. Be back in a tick."

Emma stared at his back as he walked away and disappeared around a corner. Not even a second later, She heard her phone go off on her purse.

She reached for the clutch and opened it, to see that she had a text from Killian. In it, there were two words.

_Follow me._

She got up from the table, setting her purse down in her chair. After pushing her chair in and excusing herself, she walked the same path Killian had taken.

Once she rounded the corner, she felt a pair of arms grab her by the waist and pull her backwards into some sort of closet.

"What the hell, Jones?"

A second later, his lips were on hers as his hands explored her body, trailing from her hips up to the open back of her dress and everywhere in between.

She was caught off-guard, but returned the kiss in an instant, wrapping her arms around his neck when she felt him nipping at her lower lip.

He deepened the kiss, groaning into her mouth when she moved one of her hands to the nape of his neck and tugged lightly on the hair there.

When there was no air left in either of their lungs, he broke the kiss, trailing his mouth and his beard (god, why had she _ever_ shaved it?) down her neck, leaving behind a trail of wet, open-mouthed kisses.

"Gods, Swan," he panted against her sensitive skin, "you bloody win."

She gasped when he pushed his hips into hers, and she felt his need straining against his pants. "I win what?" She breathed out, trying not to sound as wrecked as she felt.

"Do you understand how hard it was for me to control myself this long? Watching you flirt with that sodding moron? Wearing this dress, with your gorgeous back exposed to just anyone's wandering eyes, and your legs— gods, your legs—" He reached down and cupped her ass, prompting her to wrap her legs around his waist, "just begging for my attention? It was _torture_. You and your perfect pink lips. I couldn't stand to see them smiling for anyone but me."

He was grinding his hips into hers, and Emma had to admit that she was only half-listening to what he was saying. "And— _fuck_ —what about your girlfriend?"

She felt him chuckle against her neck before he answered. "She's not my girlfriend. Besides," he paused to kiss her neck and worry the skin there with his teeth, "she's got a husband to get home to."

Emma was confused, but decided to save her questions for later. She pushed down when he pushed up, and she could feel the tension coiling low in her stomach. "Oh my god, Killian, I'm—"

"Say that again."

Emma was almost too far gone to understand him, having barely caught what he said. "Say what?"

"My name, Emma. Say it again." He punctuated his request with a sharp jolt of his hips.

"_Killian!_"

He chuckled into her neck again, his movements getting a little more deliberate. "That's it, love. Just like that."

She could barely hear him anymore, the roaring in her ears had taken over everything else. Before she could even recognize it, she was falling over the edge, gripping him by the shoulders as she leaned her head against the wall at her back.

She kissed him again, lazily and passionately, as the reality of what they'd just done began to set in. "Killian, what are we doing?"

He looked at her, and then looked at their surroundings before giving her a playful yet dangerous smirk. "Well, at the risk of sounding too frank, I believe we are dry humping in a coat closet."

She sighed, relaxing her legs and letting her feet fall to the floor. "You know that's not what I meant."

She opened the door to the closet, and looked up and down the hallway before grabbing him by the wrist and leading out of the back exit.

Once they were outside, she turned to him, crossing her arms over her chest.

"There a problem, Swan?"

"I just need to know where we stand." he opened his mouth to speak and she cut him off. "And _don't_ make some literal joke, because I swear I will lose my mind."

Killian smiled wryly and shrugged his shoulders. "You know me too well."

He walked over to her and took both of her hands in his. "I don't know what we are, but I know what I want us to be."

Emma's voice was barely above a whisper when she spoke. "And what's that?"

He smiled, cupping the side of her face with an open hand. "Together."

She smiled and leaned in to kiss him, stopping an inch away from his face and leaning back. "But, what about Ariel?"

Killian laughed outright, wrapping his arms around Emma's waist. "I feel nothing for Ariel. She's just a friend. I should really be asking you about your _boyfriend._"

Emma felt her cheeks redden before her eyes widened in realization. "Did you plan this whole thing?"

Killian smiled, closing the distance between them with a kiss. "Some questions are better left unanswered, love."

She laughed and kissed him back in agreement.

Once dinner was finally over, Emma got to go home with Killian, just as Ruby predicted.

(Or, rather, he came home with her, but still.)

They stayed in her bedroom all weekend, and when the paper came Sunday morning, they filled out the crossword together.

_The End_


End file.
